Thursday, January 31, 2008

Thursday ~ January 31, 2008...that our friends *the ones who drove to AK with us last summer* are not coming up for the WF winter carnival! I was even almost on my way to the camper to find the 'coffee lights'...but the weather/roads are too bad, a dejavu of a previous time....winter in MT, or any place, for that matter...one just never knows! I wanted them to see the beautiful snow we have, sitting on the tree branches, postcard perfect...as only He can make it!Sew now what will I do with my time this weekend...the horses, caribou and bear are waiting. The quilt/material store downtown has three wall hangings right now and I'm hoping they'll agree to sell them...with a commission, of course. Craig's list...e-bay, maybe, for some other ideas.Last night St. Peter hosted the young foreign workers...Bolivia, Peru, Chili, Brazil, Italy...who work on the mountain and in the lodges...for a dinner, the second one in as many weeks. First week there were 53, mostly guys...this week 52...and all very gracious and thankful. About 4 are exchange students so knew the high school youth of St. P's. Next week *Lent starts*...and it'll be interesting to see who shows up for the soup suppers before service...hope everyone makes a big pot!Even tho it's snowing...IT'S GETTING LIGHTER EARLIER AND STAYING LIGHTER LONGER...I can even tell!!!! Does that make me excited??? Maybe...!!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Monday ~ January 28, 2008There was one day this past week that was fairly 'warm'...low 30's...washed the car that day so the doors wouldn't be frozen shut the next day. Today there is no school...emergency travel only until later morning due to snowdrifts across roads. And below zero again. Wonder when we'll have to make up the day...So...today I will finish another moose wall hanging...and an elk. Schmitty Kitty loves to help me...lays right on the material while I'm sewing and gets kinda 'lippy' when I need her to move.Our 4 year old granddaughter is in a BCBS of Montana commercial, starting in April and being shown for a year. We are in the presence of greatness! It'll be fun to see her on tv in her leotards at the gym. Little Kennedy goes in again for chemo today if her 'counts' are high enough. Such a life! Getting something that can kill you to make you better...who'da thought... Medical science is a God-given knowledge that sometimes is for the good, but because of sin sometimes is for the bad. Not saying chemo is for the bad...but someday maybe a different cure will be found. In the meantime, awareness of childhood cancer must be in the forefront of our thoughts...and with God's help we WILL find a cure.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Monday ~ January 21, 2008And...IT IS COLD! Almost had a North Dakota blizzard Saturday, but...no. Actually, I don't think anything could compare (here anyway) to the ND blizzards of my youth! Days and days of snow and blowing snow...with huge drifts...and beautiful wind sculpted white rain! At least here we usually don't have wind! The morning's temp was -19, but 1/4 mile away ONLY -9. Didn't know I was crossing guard this afternoon until lunch so had two coats (one from church) on and waddled around...otherwise could hardly move. Listening to live radio from Anchorage this morning and heard they are in the 30's with rain...which made the roads really slick after freezing temps...so would rather have this cold without the rain. Wondering how our home on Malispina Loop looks right now. White. Not much wind there either.Our outdoor ministry is in gear again for this summer...with mailing of information to numerous churches in a few states. Praying that it will 'take off' and be an awesome witness of God's love and grace.I'm thinking we are going to have to buy a cord or two of wood...

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Wednesday ~ January 16, 2008Yup...haven't written for a while... have been busy with church, work, wall hangings, SS, and medicare. Our outdoor ministry is in full swing again, calling and sending information of spiritual retreats to churches in several states...work, everyday for 2 1/2 hours...made 3 1/2 wall hangings, so far (moose, bison, elk, wolf)...waiting on SS in our daughter's appeal...AND, just now medicare has been straightened out and the script part will be flowing smoothly.We saw our yearly...every 5 years...movie last weekend, 'The Bucket List'. A good movie...laughs *and tears*. Also, would like to see 'Charlie Wilson's War', but...in 5 years we could just rent it or watch it on tv...whatEVer!The winter has been fantastic! Usually in the teens or 20's...BUT THE TREES!!! The snow we have gotten has fallen softly with no wind; therefore, piling up snow on all the branches...just soooo BEAUTIFUL! Hope it's that way in a couple weeks during the Whitefish Winter Carnival. Friends are coming in on Amtrak and will be here for 3 days, so want them to experience that beauty.Still praying for little Kennedy *and all the child cancer victims...such a devastating disease! Julie, who lost her little Kayla last month, is 'on the hill' in DC lobbying for funds for research of childhood cancer...also, praying for their success in their endevor during their journey thru grief. Sunday we celebrate 'Life Sunday'...preserving the life of the unborn/elderly/sick. God knew us before the world began...knows us here on earth...and wants us to be with Him in heaven. HE is the giver of life and HE is the one who knows when our lives will end...always in control...always a comfort!

ATHELAS OUTDOOR MINISTRYThe mission of Athelas is to provide spiritual and emotional renewal by the application of Christian teaching and principles in a wilderness environment.Athelas Outdoor Ministry is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded by Darla and Marty Kaarre in 2001. Athelas is governed by a volunteer board of directors.athelasoutdoor.orgchikaddd@hotmail.com1-877-862-83821-406-261-7187POB 883Whitefish, MT 59937

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. Ps. 139:13

Seder 2010

Seder 2010

How to transport a cabinet in AK....it's just WRONG!

WHERE'S THE DUCT TAPE!!!

Moose back of house

And again...the awesome sunset!

Saved by Griz

Decorated for Christmas

1/2 [HALF!!!] standard breakfast at the Roadhouse

$9.95

Talkeetna Spur Road~Denali

Montana Creek~no salmon

Malispina Loop snow~2010

Our land in winter~2010

Almost dark~Alaska

Dusk in Alaska

Flying into SeaTac before daylight

Yup...KILT...he'll be warm on his head!

38th Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage 2010

Karsyn Kay~3 days old~she's perfect!

Banff mountains

AB raven

Sunwapta Falls~Icefields Parkway, AB

1942 Ranger Station~Grande Cache, AB

THE lemon/creme cake...a party in your mouth!

AB coyote

Grande Prairie, AB

Original curved wooden bridge on old Alcan

One of many closed stopping places along AK Hwy

BC snow~Sept. 7, 2009

No telephoto...and I was IN the p/u!

Sandhill cranes in the Yukon sky

Liard River

Whitehorse, YT

Thru a hole in the outhouse wall...

Kluane River valley

Yukon Swan

Cow moose

Jack River~Parks Hwy

Fall colors along the Parks Hwy~Sept. 2, 2009

Ninilchik moon~August 29, 2009

Followed the southern horizon

Ninilchik River and the old village

Russian Orthodox Church~Old Ninilchik Village

Old wooden canoe~Old Ninilchik Village

Cook Inlet and Mt. Augustine~volcano 30 miles to SSW

Resident moose and calf

...still alive

Hatcher Pass area

These 'bumps' were under the blueberry bushes all over the hill

...why I sat and rolled...

On blueberry hill

Wild salmon and halibut

Excellent!

Raspberry beer imported from Belgium

Need I say more...

4 wheeler logging

Dead spruce cutting

"I'm a logger..."

The back door...

The lone tree...gone...

...looks MUCH better!

Bush plane for viewing Denali...Fish Lake

39066 S. Malispina Loop, Talkeetna, AK

Our drive to the left...end of road 1/2 mile...neighbor to right.

Melted cheese, crackers, wine and a good book...

...around the campfire...RELAXATION!

Devil's Club

Pretty, but full of thorns!

Dee, Alex, Barb, Mark, Lyle, Vern

Denali from the east

Nenana River

Beaded moose altar cloth in 1905 log church~Nenana, AK

Nenana Ice Classic tripod

Salmon on drying rack

Fishing weir at Nenana, AK

Old cabin by Salcha, AK

Denali from the north

Old moose smoker

Powers family in AK

Jackson Dale Powers~7 weeks old

Chatkanika gold dredge and tailings ~ July 29, 2009

Along the Steese Highway ~ July 29, 2009

Loading excavator for trip up Steese

Miles of fireweed on 2004 burns ~ July 29, 2009

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. Ps. 139:13

ATHELAS OUTDOOR MINISTRYThe mission of Athelas is to provide spiritual and emotional renewal by the application of Christian teaching and principles in a wilderness environment.Athelas Outdoor Ministry is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded by Darla and Marty Kaarre in 2001. Athelas is governed by a volunteer board of directors.athelasoutdoor.orgchikaddd@hotmail.com1-877-862-83821-406-261-7187POB 883Whitefish, MT 59937

Dock at Little Therreault Lake

Storm over Bridger's

East side bison

Poppies

East side horses~Glacier Park mountains

Stan's wood carvings...yup...they sell!

Booth with wall hangings that don't sell

Bear grass at Summit

Lyndy and Sterling on tractor their great great uncle made from scratch

July 4th fireworks

Canoe trip on Newlan

Spring blossoms

Newlan Lake

The Back .0040

And it got worse after this was taken!

Athelas retreat banner

Bunny in feeding dish

God's creation

Modified small bear hanging

Tasha in Blackhawk

landed in school parking lot

Athelas banner

Essex snow

Blackfeet sculpture

Eastern front of Rockies

Sun on Columbia Mountains 1/31/2008 5:30pm

Schmitty helping with all hangings

Wolf wall hanging

Bear wall hanging

Bison wall hanging

Moose wall hanging

Elk wall hanging

Our house Dec. 29, 2007

Looking up Deer Trail from our house

The short-haired one

AK solstice moon @ 4:15pm

Nuthatch

Chickadee

'Fake' Christmas tree ~2007

Wooden moose head wall hanging

Flowers downtown Whitefish

Big Mountain

ski resort

St. Peter LCMS~Whitefish, MT

where the banner still hangs

One of the five bunnies

ABLAZE! banner

God's Grace...Our Response...That the world may know...we have found the Messiah

Fall colors in Whitefish

One of my favorite people's mountains...

I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5

The Baby Snowy Owl mascot

Usually watching where we are going...

Clothes pin on CB antenna wire

How does a trucker fix a static-ee radio

Yukon River bridge and pipeline on haul road

Haul Road and Pipeline

Coldfoot, Alaska

South Slope Atigun Pass, Brooks Range

North Slope Atigun Pass, Brooks Range

Atigun Pass ~ Brooks Range ~ Alaska

Tetlin Wildlife Refuge ~ Alaska

Teslin Lake ~ Yukon Territory

A special swan

Dease Lake ~ Cassiar

Iskut River along Cassiar

The Cassiar

Most is paved and a very good road

On the Cassiar

Meziadin Lake Provencial Park

Isaiah 40:31

...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.

Old Native Masks

Nunivak Stone Head

Over 200 years old, found on Nunivak Island...note the face (left side)

Native Alaskan game

A Native Alaskan game

Weight is only on hand and thumb!

Yup'ik/Cup'ik men's (left) & women's (right) house

Separated for education during the day in winter

Doorway in Eskimo home

Not big enough for a polar bear

Eyak/Tlingit/Haida/Tsimshian house

SE Alaska

Awesome quilt!

Palmer State Fair

Another awesome quilt

Palmer State Fair

Spawn Taneous Combustion

Salmon on Parade

Salmon Eggs

Salmon on Parade

Salmon on Parade

Palmer State Fair ~ Alaska

How could God not love us if He knew us before we were even formed!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful...Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book BEFORE one of them came to be. Ps. 139: 13-14a, 16.

Russian Plane

Merrill Field~Anchorage

Lindsay and Jack

At the Palmer rodeo

Logger

Climbing pole at fair

Logger at the fair

Chandler and Sam

Riding the slingshot

Jeff and Tanner

Riding the slingshot

24 pound cabbage at fair

Bull moose in swimming pool

Just how hot IS IT in Lincoln, MT???

Spruce tree burls and roots

Birch tree stump

Spruce tree burls

Dragonfly

Trumpeter Swans

Drying after bath

Trumpeter Swan

bathing

Phantom moose #2 track

Phantom moose #1 track

Hannibul

Part Yak/part beef

Hannibul's behind

Tera

Showing her steer

Lindsay

Going for a barrel win!

Flowers at Carr's in Palmer

Mountain Ash foliage color change

It's the season...

Cranes at pocket mail site

Cow moose and yearling

At pocket mail site/swimming hole

Not a hobo...

What is it??????

Cleaning off mud at the swimming hole

Grizzly track

Fairly fresh

Mud bog...rocks

4 Wheeler trail

Which way to go...all three ways full of water and huge rocks

Talking to Bobbi from 4 wheeler trail

Along the 4 wheeler trail off Yoder Road

Oh~Oh!

Jeff's stuck in a deep mud bog...

Jeff is unstuck

Winch to the rescue...again...

Oops...

Ya think Jack's stuck???

Getting on to get out...

Jeff makes it over on the Kodiak to help

Finally out!

Me...in the mud...

DON'T WEAR CROCS IN MUD!

My leg/foot

Kinda muddy...

Fearsome Foursome!

Adams' and Jack around fire

Roadhouse sign

Home of...see next picture...

Awesome soup and THICK sooo yummy bread!

Completion of expansion of road/pad

Start of trail

Looking from back of camper...east...kinda...

Blueberry patch site

Trail on property

Part of the 600 foot trail we made...

Devil's Club

Nasty...thorns...consider carefully where you 'sit' in the woods!

Road...on left; Beaver dam on right

Yup...water over ROCKY road...

Trumpeter Swans

...and the back.

Trumpeter Swans

The front/side...

Samantha and the Swans

They never took their eyes off her!

Denali from Bonco Lake in winter

Denali

As usual~awesome!

A front moving in

Bird

Part of the Behind Trip

The pocketmail site

Spruce Chick

Spruce Chicken

Dwarf fireweed

Elderberries

Watermelon berries

Trailing raspberry

Bird

Eating sooo yummy bugs after soil dug up

Our camp

More Montana Creek salmon

Young grizzlies dressed as sandhill cranes

REALLY!!!

Gray Jay eating out of Jack's hand

Excavator moving huge tree rootball

Tree down...Jack waiting to saw

Making road wider

Our land looking toward the road from the camper

Beaver Dam...huge!

Beaver

Camp Robber taking bread off my shoe

Woodpeckers

Feeding off spruce beetles...feeding each other

Gray Jay aka Camp Robber

Pocketmail/calling site

At the swimming hole

King salmon in Montana Creek

2 miles from us~no fishing

Denali

View from 1 1/2 miles away from us

Alaskan Range~Denali on right

Going to Talkeetna from our road...about 1 1/2 miles from us

Fireweed

At Moose Dropping

What happens when you carry around and drinking from the silver 'cup' for two days...

The Simpletones

Another awesome group...fiddle player had just joined

Mountain Waxwings at Moose Dropping

Awesome singing!

Where the moose droppings land

Person's number who is closest to center wins $1000, etc.

Bag holding droppings

Painted white with black numbers

It says it all...

One of many hanging plants

Downtown Talkeetna during Moose Dropping Festival

It's raining~it's Chrysa sitting under an umbrella

One of our few birds

Fire-ring (from Cabela's)/wooden turner Jack made/bench Jack designed

Outhouse will be to the right off the gravel

Bartlett Earth Station

Timmy T.'s not-dead bee!

Sandhill Cranes in Schnabl drive

In Cindy's yard

Back of German-made vehicle

German-made vehicle~Paris to Dakar race

In WalMart's parking lot in Anchorage July 19, 2007

Hannibul

Half Yak/bull

Boots, Lindsay's 4 mo. old puppy

Shoulda been named 'Expresso'...(short legs=not fast...coffee shop)

Lindsay Schnabl at Ninilchik rodeo

Tera Schnabl at Ninilchik rodeo

Old boat at 'Russian' Ninilchik Village

Immature and bald eagles~Ninilchik River

Old boat~Seldovia

Old sailboat~Seldovia

Old boardwalk ~Seldovia harbor

Pre-1964 earthquake harbor

Seldovia Harbor

Jellyfish/seaweed~Seldovia Harbor

Seldovia Harbor

Elephant Rock~Kachemak Bay

Mt. Iliamna~Kachemak Bay

Sea otter

Gull Island~Kachemak Bay

Puffin

Gull Island~Kachemak Bay

Eagle on Homer Spit~Kachemak Bay

Homer Spit and Kachemak Bay

Mt. Augustine~Cook Inlet from Homer Spit 'overlook'

Mt. Iliamna~Cook Inlet from Ninilchik

Mt. Redoubt~Cook Inlet from Ninilchik beach

Russian Orthodox Church~Seldovia

Russian Orthodox Church~Ninilchik

Kenai River~Sterling Highway

Summit Lake~Seward Highway

Fire just west of Shad/Misty's

Resurrection Bay ~ Seward

WWII bunker

Sean & Steve cleaning rockfish

Humpback's tail

Stan with his catch

Harbor seal at Sealife Center~Seward

Boats on Resurrection Bay~Seward

Jack and Emmy Mae

Fox in park

Sat down and posed for us

Baby ground squirrels

Denali & Alaska Range

Denali

Chrysa

Showing Stan and Bobbi our land

Cruise ship

Bobbi, Stan, Chrysa, Jack

Resurrection Bay Cruise~Seward

Stan & Jack on Resurrection Bay Cruise~Seward

GU-11's (gulls)

Sea lions

Resurrection Bay~Seward

Bald eagle

Rockfish~'Black bass'/Red Snapper (Yelloweye)

That's not a tongue! It's the stomach coming out the mouth due to living in deeper water.

Jellyfish

Puffins

Starfish~Sealife Center

Stan and son, Steve

On the way to the fishing grounds

Resurrection Bay~Seward, AK

Seward dock from Ray's

U-shaped valley carved by glacier

Enormous sleeping blonde grizzly~Denali

Denali~Alaska Range

Gas mileage going up Top of the World

SS Keno~sternwheeler in Dawson City

Built on permafrost in Dawson City

Top of the World highway from 'the Dome'

Tailings~Looking up Bonanza Creek

Down the Yukon River from 'the Dome'

Jack, Bobbie, Emmy Mae, Stan gazing over the Yukon River

Emmy Mae

Yukon ferry

View from Top of the World/flowers

Dredge on Taylor Highway~AK

Cow moose browsing

Chugach Mountains on Glenn Highway

Musk Ox at farm~Palmer

Whittier harbor

Ugly Rockfish

Water falls~Prince William Sound

Blackstone Glacier~Prince William Sound

Chrysa, Stan, Bobbie holding glacial ice

Jeff/Janell's Hewes OceanPro

Canadian Rockies

Steamboat Mountain

Indian Head Mounument~BC

Liard Hot Springs~BC

Stan/Bobbie's 'tin tent' & p/u

Moose over boardwalk~Liard HS

Old sour dough~Braeburn Cinnamon bun baker

Braeburn Cinnamon Buns~HUGE~M-M-M-M-M GOOD!

Five Finger Rapids on Yukon River, YT

Diamond Tooth Gertie's can-can girls~Dawson City, YT

Talkeetna purchase

We bought land about 15 miles SW of Talkeetna, Alaska...on e-bay...sight unseen! in 2006. I probably wouldn't recommend doing that for everyone, but we were blessed it was legal...and now have good neighbors in the north, too. In fact, one of our neighbors built a 250 foot road with a turn-around into our place and we could stay on our land part of the summer. Of course, then there was the flood with the washing out of the only good road leading to Malispina Loop, so had to wait to start back to MT for a few days until that was repaired and we could retrieve our cargo trailer, since we had left it on our land while down on the Kenai.

Welcome to the travels of John and Chrysa

We leave on June 6th so are in the process of thinking about getting ready. Actually, I've had stacks here and there all winter, but don't know if that'll save me time or not. I have washed and waxed the fronts of the camper (slide-in with tip-out) and under the overhead so all the bugs we hit can have a spot now. It was fairly crowded before starting...but I always use 'Black streak remover'~ if you haven't tried it, do...it's awesome!
I'm going to give getting pictures on here a whirl in the near future...just hoping it's nearer (didn't have problems) than farther (had problems) away.